Just Friends
by DespiteTheVoid
Summary: Alternate Universe! - When Betty Cooper moves to Riverdale with her mom after her parent's split, she doesn't know what to expect. There she meets Jughead Jones, Riverdale High's social pariah, whom she's immediately drawn to. Longtime rival of Jughead, Archie, is determined to make Jughead's life miserable, and Betty finds herself caught in the middle of a feud going back years.
1. The Flagpole

**Just Friends**

 **By: Despite The Void**

 **Chapter 1: The Flagpole**

I sighed at the reflection in my mirror.

First impressions were important. What was I telling everyone at my new school by my appearance alone?

 _Well, the soft pink knitted sweater suggests you look like you've raided your grandmother's closet._

 _The collar of your dress shirt beneath tells the world you take yourself too seriously._

 _The tight, perfectly slicked back ponytail suggests you're a perfectionist and that you're uptight._

 _Your jeans do add a touch of modernism but is overshadowed by the antique flower brooch._

"Forget it, Mom," I shook my head, peering into my mother's face behind my shoulder in the reflection. "Thanks for your advice, but there's no way I'm wearing this. And you know ponytails give me a headache."

Mom scowled. "Elizabeth, this ensemble says you're serious about your education."

I snorted. "It says I'm ready to be put in a nursing home! How can you expect me to wear this when even _you_ wouldn't be caught dead in it?"

"I did wear something like this once!" She protested. "A job interview….eleven years ago."

"Did they hire you?" I asked.

She didn't meet my eyes.

I laughed and ripped off the sweater and dress shirt. I stormed into my closet, pulling out my favorite graphic tee-shirt depicting coffee cups that are in love. Next, I let down my hair, parting it down the middle. It fell in soft waves down to my collar bones.

Better.

"I'll wear the new jeans," I offered. "No rips in them. That should make you happy."

"It doesn't. But I appreciate the effort." My mother pressed her lips together in defeat, turning away.

I saw the flash of anxiety in her eyes before she did, though.

"Don't worry about me, Mom." I squeezed her arm, and she sighed heavily, looking wary. "Really, I'll be fine."

She smiled feebly, nodding. "I know you will be, honey." She pulled me into a hug, kissing my temple. "Make new friends and have fun."

That wasn't going to happen, but I smiled back at her. I hoped she didn't see right through me.

Our move to Riverdale wasn't by choice, but necessity. My mother had grown up here, spent early adulthood here. She knew all the families and their histories. She also knew that The Register, Riverdale's local newspaper, would hire her again in a heartbeat, should she need a job. And she did.

See, things had been tight since my parents separated two months ago. My dad left, and my sister, Polly, went with him. I stayed with Mom.

Mom hadn't worked in years, never needing to with Dad's generous income. Now, it was like a lightswitch had been turned on inside her. She didn't just need to work, she _wanted_ to work. She missed editing for the newspaper, missed the gratification of it.

I was excited for her, really, I was.

It's just…

A new school.

At my old school, I had grew up with the kids, I knew them. That was a good and a bad thing by the end of it. But now? Now it was a whole new world. I was starting completely over. I was happy...but deep in my gut I felt sick with nerves.

It'll be different now. No one knew me here. Clean slate, right?

I squared my shoulders, taking a final look in the floor length mirror in my bedroom.

"No fear." I told myself.

I was late. It was my first day of school, and I was late.

Our car wouldn't start, and it took twenty minutes for an uber to to pick me up, plus another seven minutes to the school because, despite my pleading, the driver would not exceed the 35 MPH speed limit.

"Ice on the roads, honey." The older woman told me, gripping the steering wheel with hands so tight that her knuckles were white. "Don't worry, they'll understand."

Sure they would.

I stared out the window, continuing to silently will her to go faster.

Indeed, the world was blanketed with snow, and it continued to fall lazily from the sky in fat flakes. So sure, the road was a little icy. But as the minutes ticked by, my opportunity to make a good impression was dwindling. Minute by minute.

Of course I was starting in the middle of the school year. January, to be exact. Not at all awkward.

 _Be optimistic, Betty._ That's what Polly would tell me. _Why is your glass always half empty?_

Because someone spilled the the other half on top of my head, that's why. Because when you're constantly screwed over, you always expect it in any given situation.

I blinked and suddenly we were pulling in the parking lot.

It was empty outside. Footprints littered the snow, indicating everyone had gone inside. My heart was beating like crazy, and I thanked the Uber driver before shakily opening the car door.

"Good luck!" She called just as I was shutting the door.

The main building loomed ahead of me and I walked briskly towards the entrance. The snow crunched under my boots, an oddly soothing noise. My eyes were trained on the doors. I was trying to go over what I'd say to the principal. My mom had already called the school to explain my tardiness, but it still didn't look good.

I was approaching the doors when I heard a voice call out from the left.

"If it w-wouldn't be t-too much of an in-inconvenience," called a deep voice, "I c-could use a hand."

I whipped towards the direction of the voice and gasped loudly.

Tied to the flagpole was a boy. He was naked, save for black boxers. The image was so extremely startling that, for a moment, all I could do was stare at him.

He was slim and stood around six feet tall. His wrists were bound behind his back and around the pole, as well as his feet, which I noted with horror, were bare. His hair was a mess of black waves. I could see his teeth chattering from where I stood, as well as bold black letters that had been drawn crudely onto his abdomen:

 _ **BLOW ME!**_

"Oh my god!" I found my voice, and my feet began to work again, running towards him. "Are you okay!?"

A shaky laugh was my response. "Are you fucking s-serious?"

I was in front of him now and went behind him, inspecting the knotted rope that bound his wrists and ankles. I took off my gloves hastily and began to work at the knot around his wrists as best I could with my shaking fingers.

"Shouldn't I go and get someone?" I asked, managing to get the knot the tiniest bit looser.

"No!"

I looked up at the boy in surprise. "Why not?"

"It'll just m-make things worse if you do," he said, "trust me."

I didn't know what that was supposed to mean, but I continued my work.

"There!" I exclaimed when the knot loose enough to undo.

He flexed his fingers, wincing as he pulled his arms free. I shrugged out of my jacket and handed it to him before kneeling in front of him to begin working at the knot at the rope around his ankles. As I was kneeling, my eyes caught once again at the crude words written on his abdomen. It was lightly defined, almost elegant looking. The muscles underneath the letters quivered against the cold. Underneath his belly button a dark line of hair disappeared into his boxers. I read the words painted on him again and flushed, feeling heat spread across my face and down my neck.

He caught me reading them, and no doubt saw the flush spreading across my face and neck.

"Thanks," he muttered as he put on my blue jacket, covering the message. "You don't have to do that one, I can do it. "

He was bending over just as I was rising, and we ungracefully bonked against the other's skull. Pain exploded in my head and I cried out.

"Fuck!" He hissed quietly.

I fell back onto the ground, clutching my throbbing head.

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling the snow seep into my jeans.

The boy shook his head and bent over again, working furiously at the knot. "It's fine."

His fingers shook so bad that he couldn't get a grip on the rope. I sighed and impatiently pushed his hands away, replacing them with my own. "Let me do it. You'll take too long and we need to get you inside before you get frostbite."

A hoarse chuckle. "Yes, ma'am."

I ignored him, concentrating.

Who the hell was this guy? Why was he tied to a pole in the dead of winter, _naked?_ Who had done this to him? What was his name?

All questions that could wait until I was sure he wasn't going to get hypothermia.

I sighed in relief when the knot came undone and stood up. His face was several inches away from mine, and I noted that his eyes were a green-gray color. His lips were pale, on the verge of turning blue. But he had a pretty mouth. It was full and the shape of his lips perfect. He had small dark moles that dotted around his face and his neck. They weren't ugly. They suited him, somehow. There were light freckles adorning his straight nose.

"Now what?" I asked him, tearing my eyes away from his adorable freckles. "If you don't want any the faculty to know about this...where do you plan to go? It's not like you can just walk home like this."

His blue lips twitched in what I think was supposed to be a smirk. "I keep an extra s-set of clothes in my locker. This isn't the f-first time something like this has happened."

He walked towards the school, not seeming to mind that he was barefoot. They had to be numb.

I caught up to him. "Who did this?"

"You'll know him when you see him," was his reply.

And then we were inside. The hall was empty, no one in sight. The walls had posters plastered all over them of Riverdale's football team, the Bulldogs.

The warmth was heavenly, but the boy was still shivering. I knew it would take quite a while for him to warm up from the cold he'd been exposed to.

"Thank you, new girl." He took off my blue jacket and handed it back to me.

I blinked at him. "My name is Betty."

His eyes sparked briefly, his dark brows lifting. "Retro."

I scowled as he put his back to me and walked away. He walked as if he weren't naked, as if he hadn't just been tied to a pole in the snow.

"And you are?" I snapped, throwing my hands up in exasperation.

He glanced over his shoulder and his eyes bore into mine. They were so intense. My breath caught in my throat.

"Good luck, Betty."

And then he turned a corner and was out of sight.

I leaned up against the door, blinking rapidly. I stared down at my coat that I gripped and I caught a scent that smelled a bit like pine needle coming from it that had definitely not been there before.

I looked back up to where he'd rounded the corner.

What the fuck just happened?

* * *

 **Authors note: We hope you enjoyed the first chapter in a story that we're so excited to tell! We've wanted to write something for Bughead for a long time! It's very exciting.  
**

 **We will hopefully be updating this story 1-2 times a month, but please be patient. One of us is a full time mommy with two babies and the other works full time!**

 **xoxo,  
Cee and Tiff ~ Despite The Void**


	2. The Pink Hair

**Chapter 2: The Pink Hair**

What a bizarre way to start my first day of school. What was I going to tell my mother when I got home?

' _Oh! How was your day, honey?'_

' _Oh, you know Mom. Ran into a half naked hot guy tied to a flagpole. Nothing unusual there.'_

I could see it now. She would have me committed for even suggesting a boy was hot.

But I couldn't deny it. He was. And his face had haunted me all morning. For starters, I thought about the way his hair was disarrayed, practically standing in all kinds of directions. It was a complete mess but somehow it looked stylish that way. Like that was the whole purpose of the cut in general. And his eyes. Were they green? Blue? Grey?

I was really starting to question my sanity. I mean, who thinks about a boy's hair like this after a five minute interaction? And who cares what color his eyes were? They were just eyes. Everyone had them. Yet somehow, here I was, walking down the hallway and unable to stop myself from looking for the boy with the messy black hair and indescribable eyes.

I had already been to a couple of classes. I got notes from first period, which I missed. Luckily the teacher didn't seem too upset about it.

Now I was waiting on a girl who was supposed to show me around. I couldn't remember what they'd said her name was, though.

I didn't have any luck in spotting the boy I was hoping to see. Instead, I saw a crowd of people I didn't know, and with them was a jock with…pink hair?

Yep. This school just kept getting weirder and weirder.

He was definitely an athlete. Tall, lean yet muscular, and wearing a football jersey with a pair of jeans. His face was pale and angular with high cheekbones. And his eyes were a warm chocolate brown. No questioning that shade whatsoever. However, I did wonder if he had meant to make his hair pink. He seemed popular despite this oddity, though. As he grabbed his books from his locker he was constantly giving high fives and waving at girls who giggled as they passed him and his friends. Clearly he was something big around here.

"Are you Elizabeth?"

I turned my head to find a raven haired girl standing in front of me, books tucked in the crook of her arm.

"What?"

"Elizabeth Cooper?" She repeated, arching a dark, bold brow. "The new girl from Miami?"

I blinked and looked at the boy with pink hair again. His eyes met mine for a second and looked at the girl with me. His eyes darkened slightly as he gazed at her. And quickly he turned around and headed towards what I assumed was the cafetera. Kids were coming and going out of the place and with each pass of the door swinging open, it grew louder and louder.

"Hello?" The girl asked again, looking at me like I was dumb. I shook my head and turned to look at her.

Right. She wanted to know my name. What was wrong with me today?

"Yeah. I'm Elizabeth-well, I go by Betty, actually."

"Why is that?"

"'Cause..I do?"

"Weird."

This was going well. Had she never heard of a nickname? Did she not grasp the basic concept of them? I bit my lip to keep from snapping at her. No way did I want to make an enemy on my first day.

The girl stuck out her hand and gave me a fake, shiny smile to go along with her perfectly arched eyebrows. In fact, just about every single one of her features was perfect. Her eyeshadows were flawlessly blended, just the perfect amount of highlighter applied to her cheekbones and the bridge of her pert nose...She looked like she had a professional makeup artist who did her makeup every morning. Maybe she did.

She had on a crimson sweater to match her dark red lipstick and pearls that looked like they cost more than my new house and my car put together. The sweater was short sleeve and went well with her short black skirt and knee high boots.

My mom would approve of this ensemble. Hell, with one glance my mom would want us to be friends.

I didn't see it happening though.

"Veronica Lodge," she said, shaking my hand. "I'm supposed to show you around school."

I nodded, forcing a fake smile of my own.

"Great," I answered, gesturing for her to lead the way.

Veronica walked me through the halls, showing me where the classes on my schedule were located, introducing me to a student or two. I could tell she hated this; she didn't do much to hide it. I half listened to what she said. My mind kept going back to this morning, to the boy tied to the flagpole. I kept looking for him, looking for the mess of black waves. But he was nowhere to be seen.

 _Get a grip, Betty._

"And this is the music room," droned Veronica, pointing to a door on the left. "I don't suppose you play anything?"

"Not unless you count softball," I answered.

She shook her head slightly, and sighed, continuing on until we were back where we'd started, right by the lunch room.

"And here, obviously, is where we eat."  
Veronica ushered me inside the lunch room. It was packed with students. It smelled like I arrived on spaghetti day.

My eyes immediately found the jock with the pink hair. He sat at a table with other jocks and cheerleaders, but really it looked like he was a king, holding court.

Veronica followed my line of sight. "That's Archie Andrews," she told me. "He's quarterback for the Bulldogs."

Of course he was.

"Is...is his hair...supposed to be pink?" I dared ask.

At that exact moment, almost as if he'd somehow heard me, Archie Andrews looked up and once again met my gaze. He inclined his head, a small smirk forming at his mouth.

I didn't look away.

Veronica scoffed. "Of course not," she snapped. "That would be the work of Jughead."

I blinked, breaking eye contact with Archie to turn on Veronica. "Jughead?" I asked, puzzled. "What's a jughead?"

Veronica rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. " _That's_ a jughead."

She pointed, and when I saw who she was pointing to, I gasped.

It was him.

He was fully clothed, wearing jeans, a dark tee shirt with an unbuttoned flannel shirt over the top, and a gray beanie atop his messy hair. He was sitting alone at a table at the very back of the lunchroom. It looked like he'd already eaten all of his lunch and he was absorbed in a book he was reading, completely tuning out everything and everyone around him. His long legs were reclined, his feet crossed at the ankles on another chair, an arm propped over the back of yet another empty chair and the book in his other hand. He looked as if he were lounging at home instead of a crowded, noisy school lunchroom.

"Jughead?" I repeated, my eyes never leaving him.

"Forsythe Jones III, but he's always gone by Jughead." Veronica explained in a tone that sounded exasperated. "He put hair dye in Archie's shampoo during football practice yesterday. So immature."

I glanced between Jughead and Archie, and suddenly it became obvious.

Jughead had told me I'd know his attacker when I saw him. _Pink hair_. It was a dead giveaway. I was annoyed at myself for not connecting the dots sooner.

"Thanks for all of your help," I said, "I think I can take it from here."

I began to walk to the table Jughead was seated at. Behind me, Veronica said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

I stopped, turning around to peer at her. She had her arms crossed over her chest, her face a mask of stone.

"Why not?" I challenged.

Veronica held my gaze for a moment or two, her dark eyes glittering intensely. I didn't break her stare, not giving her the satisfaction of it.. Finally she said, "Never mind. You'll see for yourself soon enough."

With that, she turned on her heels and walked away.

I shook my head. This school was insane.

I continued to weave through the tables and students towards Jughead. The closer I got to his table, the more I began to realize students were openly gawking at me. And when I finally did reach Jughead, they were all outright staring at me. I swore that it got quieter as well. I heard whispers.

Jughead Jones seemed to detect the drop in pitch and looked up from his book.

His eyes, now more blue than green, widened ever so slightly as he noticed me standing there. His mouth, no longer blue but a soft pink, parted a little. God, he was gorgeous. It was much easier to see now that he wasn't white and blue all over, shivering furiously.

"Betty." His voice was low, low enough that I barely heard him.

I smiled. "Jughead, is it?"

He nodded warily "Can….can I help you with something?"

My smile faltered. It was even quieter in the cafeteria now. I had the horrible feeling that we were being listened to.

"I wondered if I could sit with you," I practically whispered, gesturing to the empty seats beside him. "I have a lot of questions…"

Jughead moved his feet but didn't invite me to join him. If anything, his body language spoke volumes that I was not wanted around. My heart sank in my chest and I felt my cheeks begin to burn.

"Look," he started, "you seem like a really nice person, especially after what you did for me this morning. And I really do appreciate it, believe me. But don't…" He sighed. " Just don't talk to me, okay?"

I gaped open mouthed at him. Was he serious?

"I'm sorry, what?" I blinked, baffled.

Jughead simply went back to his book, completely avoiding eye contact. People were still watching, not being subtle at all.

I looked over at Archie, who had a wicked smirk plastered on his face, elbowing one of his friends in the side. I narrowed my eyes and turned back to Jughead, whose head was still stuck in the book. The only indication that he knew I was still standing there was the rigid set of his shoulders.

"Betty," he said finally after a minute, "walk away, okay? Please."

I don't understand how someone whom I don't even know could hurt me so much. But he did. It was like a flashback of my old school. Only he had no reason to be mean to me. He didn't know me.

"I don't understand-"

Jughead sighed. His eyes met mine as he closed the book he was reading. His voice sounded tired as he said, "Helping me is one trying to be my friend? It's not safe for you."

"It's not safe...because of Archie?" I motioned towards the pink haired boy who was laughing at something one of his friend's said in his ear.

Jughead shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's not safe because of _everyone_. Believe me. You don't want to be my friend."

Jughead then got up from the table, picked up his messenger bag, and threw it over his shoulder. I followed him as he walked towards the exit of the lunch room. I tried not to pay attention to the dozens of eyes that watched us like hawks.

"I know I'm new and all," I told him, "but I think I should be able to choose who I want to be friends with."

"It's because you're new that you don't realize what you're asking."

"I know that out of everyone here that I've met so far, you're the only person who doesn't seem fake. I like that. And by the looks of it, you could use a friend."

Jughead stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face me. His eyes narrowed, and his arms crossed.

"So, you want to be my friend because of pity?"

"No, not at all." I insisted.

"Because I have friends, you know. I just don't need more."

"Of course, it's just...you were eating alone-"

"By choice."

"Right," I nodded slowly. "So, you have tons of friends..."

Jughead's mouth curved into a beautiful grin. My heart leaped inside my check. A light sparked his eyes as he spoke. "Tons and _tons_ of friends," he said, humor lacing his tone. "So many people want to eat lunch with me that I have to beat them off with a stick."

" _Right_." I pursed my lips..

"Right."

We both stayed silent for a quick moment. I rolled my eyes.

"So, where were these tons of friends while you were tied up to a flagpole?"

Jughead didn't miss a beat. "Vacation."

I couldn't help but laugh. This guy was crazy. And clearly trying to brush me off by hiding behind humor. I'd hate to tell him this, but making me laugh would only make me want to be his friend more.

"In January?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"Extended Christmas vacation."

I barked out another laugh. "Really?"

"Really," he insisted. "They're all buying me presents, you know, for Christmas."

"Christmas is over because it's _January."_

"You're missing the point here, Betty."

"And the point is?"

We were walking down the hallway, stopping by a locker that I assumed was his. Jughead began to fiddle with his lock.

"The point is you don't want to be around me. I mean, I'm unhinged, I could snap at any given moment," he said, opening his locker. "Look at what I did to Archiekins."

I snorted at the nickname. "What was his hair color before?" I asked, curious.

"Red," he shook his head. "But you're not listening!"

"I prefer pink."

"Oh, my god." He slammed his forehead against his locker door.

He was incredibly adorable without even trying, and I think I was smiling more than I had in months. My cheeks actually hurt.

"Betty," he whined. "There are better people to be friends with here. I mean," he looked around us, and pointed, "Look at that girl. Hey! Betty, here, needs a pal. What do you say?"

The girl was short with a pixie cut and lots of piercings. She took one look at me, then Jughead, and snapped, "Fuck off, Foreskin Jones."

"Well, fuck you very much, bitch." Jughead called back as the girl walked off, Jughead looked back to me with a sheepish expression on his face. "Okay, maybe not her."

I burst out laughing again, leaning up against the row of lockers, doubling over. Jughead's lips turned down at the corners like he was trying not to smile.

"What about him?" Jughead pointed to another random student.

I shook my head, "I want you."

Jughead covered my mouth with his hand and my eyes went wide, my heart skipping a beat at the contact.

"Don't say shit like that, Betts," he half whispered. "People can hear you."

When he lowered his hand I smiled again, taking a step back.

I considered this all a challenge, a challenge I was more than willing to accept. I'd decided here and now that I liked Jughead Jones. He made me laugh, something I could easily get used to. Something I hadn't realized I'd been craving until now.

The bell suddenly rang out, indicating the end of lunch. I was a little sad that it meant I had to leave him now. It was the last thing I wanted to do.

"I'm going to be the best friend you've ever had, Jughead Jones." I walked backwards away from him. "Just you wait and see."

Jughead crossed his arms over his chest and his expression was a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "This is a very bad idea and I will not be held responsible for the ramifications! I'm warning you!"

"Consider me warned!" I called back, laughing as I rounded a corner, not looking where I was going as I ran right smack into Archie Andrews.

Mr. Pink Hair himself.

Up close his face was even more charming. He grinned, showing off a row of perfect white teeth. His brown eyes were inviting, perhaps deceptively inviting. He didn't look like a jerk who tied people up to flagpoles in the snow.

"Elizabeth, right?" He asked, raising his eyebrows, which were indeed red. "I'm Archie. I couldn't help but notice you looking at me a few times today, and I know what you're thinking."

He smirked and leaned against the wall, all lazy and confident.

I was immediately on guard "Oh? What was I thinking?"

His eyes sparkled. "You're jealous because you wished your hair was as pink and fabulous as mine."

Damn me to hell.

I laughed.

* * *

 **Author's note: We hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thanks to everyone whose been favoriting and following! Please leave us a review; it would make our day. :)**

 **xoxo,**

 **Cee and Tiff**


	3. The Slip of Paper

**Chapter 3: The Slip Of Paper**

I didn't know what to say to Archie Andrews, now that I was up close and personal with him. Was I supposed to hate him based on Jughead being tied up to a flagpole? Or should I be indifferent since I didn't know him at all? I wasn't the type of person to judge someone. But at the same time... what kind of guy ties a person outside naked in winter?

I made myself stop chuckling, shame coursing through me. "It sounds to me like you kind of deserved to have your hair dyed pink."

This made Archie roll his eyes. The bell rang again and I began to walk towards my next class. "I have to go."

Archie kept pace with me. "Miss Obenauf in English lit?" He asked.

"Yes," I answered. "Let me guess, you're headed the same way and we should walk together."

Archie gave me a blindingly bright smile. I could see why he was popular now. Why wouldn't he be? He was charming, handsome in that typical boy next door type of way. He was the complete opposite of Jughead, who had a dark, mysterious beauty about him. I guess you could say they were two sides of the same coin, in a way. I found myself wondering what had happened to have made them hate each other so much, enough to physically hurt one another. All stories had to start somewhere, didn't they? And I knew now that Jughead wasn't the sharing type. I knew getting the backstory from him would take time, if he told me at all.

It was so odd. I found myself wishing it was Jughead standing in front of me, instead of the pink haired boy now. I turned my head, glancing back to the corner I'd turned, wondering if Jughead had followed. He hadn't.

"I'm that obvious, huh?" Archie grinned.

I shrugged, squeezing the books to my chest "Honesty? Yeah, you're kind of an open book." I told him, looking down at my shoes as we strolled by classrooms. This school was such a maze, I was easily going to get lost here.

"But you're not into that, are you?"

My head snapped up so fast as I looked right at him in shock. I could feel my cheeks growing so red I could feel my skin burning as we stopped walking altogether.

What did he know?

"What do you-"

"You like the loner types,'' he continued ''Particularly with bad hair, and even worse social skills."

I started walking again, rolling my eyes. I definitely did not feel like talking to this guy about my feelings, towards anyone, let alone Jughead Jones.

He wasn't phased by the change though and followed me down the hallway as I began to try to see the numbers above the doors.

 _234, 235, it's gonna take me forever to find 248._

"Listen, I don't know what you think is going on here, but-"

"I think you're a nice girl is all."

"Thank you."

"But naive."

I stopped again and faced Archie, narrowing my eyes as anger raged inside of me. I could feel my fingernails digging into my skin, the pain piercing through my palms, keeping me in check as I spoke. "Excuse me?"

"Jughead Jones. I saw you try to talk to him in the cafeteria." Archie rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture that showed off his bicep

"Since you're new and don't know anyone, I think you need some guidance here."

I scoffed. Who did this kid think he was? Telling me I needed some guidance? He clearly needed therapy for tying someone to a flagpole. I mean, who does that to another person? Over pink hair of all things. Not only that but he seemed to have this entire school thinking Jughead was some sort of illness that you could catch just by speaking to him. It was ridiculous, if not childish. And I'd be damned if he thought he could rope me into the cult. I wasn't the conforming type. He had the wrong Cooper on his hands if he thought so.

"Listen, Archie, right? You don't know me, and yeah, I'm new here. But I'm not the kind of person who needs help on how to pick out friends."

Archie raised his eyebrows. "Aren't you?"

I was growing more and more annoyed with Archie Andrews the longer I talked to him. I was beginning to understand why Jughead dyed his hair pink. The asshole definitely deserved it.

"I clearly just said I was not."

"To be frank, you don't know him like I do."

"And how well is that?"

"Very," he clarified, anger sparking in his brown eyes. "He seems charming now. Funny, easy going. It's an act. He'll stab you in your sleep if you're not careful."

Dramatic, much?

"Aw, and you're just doing the decent thing and warning me, right?"

"Exactly." Archie beamed, his teeth blinding me again. Seriously, were those things radioactive?

"Consider me warned," I shoved past him. "Thanks."

I finally arrived at 248 as the late bell rang overhead. Thank god. I hoped this meant the end of the conversation with Archie. But as I walked in and found a seat in the front row next to a girl with pale skin and fiery red hair, Archie followed and sat behind me.

A smirk formed across his face as he waved a notebook at me.

Shit, I had forgotten he was in this class as well. When would the torture end?

The girl next to me must of sensed I was annoyed because she put down the bright ruby shade of lipstick she was applying on her lips

"Leave her alone, Archibald." She had a commanding voice, the voice of a girl who was definitely not afraid to speak her mind."This may come as a shock to you, but she's clearly not interested."

"What do you know, Cheryl? I'm just being friendly. Giving Elizabeth here some tips."

"Doesn't look like she needs it."

"I really don't." I said as I dug in my bookbag and took out my blinder.

Cheryl whipped her hair around and looked at Archie with a knowing gleam in her brown eyes.

Looking at her, I wondered if maybe they were related somehow. Jughead did say Archie was a redhead too, naturally. What were the odds I'd be sitting by two redheads? Wasn't that a recessive gene?

"See? She doesn't need you." Cheryl muttered as the teacher came in and told us to hush.

The class went by super slow, but I think it was because of how badly I wanted to get away from Archie. I usually would be excited about a writing class as it was one of my passions. But now I realized I found a reason to dread this class everyday. Everytime I turned around, Archie would be there, grinning innocently. It was so frustrating. By the time the bell rang, I was already out of my seat, heading towards the door.

Not seeing where I was going and trying to get the hell out of dodge, I ran smack into something solid. My books flew everywhere. I went to pick them up, I looked up and froze.

I was met with familiar green blue eyes and raven black hair hanging over them.

My breath caught.

"Jughead…it's you."

"It's me and it's you. We have to stop running into each other like this, Betts." His lips quirked into a small smile. "One of us is bound to get hurt." He bent down and picked up my lit binder, handing it to me.

My heart melted in my chest. I smiled at him, fighting the urge to laugh. What was this effect this boy had on me? It was making my stomach flutter.

"Well, I think this time it's your fault."

"Is it? How so?"

"Clearly you saw me coming and just-"

"Didn't move out of the way?" He finished, mouth spreading into a smile that did nothing for the butterflies in my stomach.

"Exactly. You wanted me to run into you." I reasoned as people walked past us. I hardly noticed though. My focus completely on Jughead Jones. He was so unlike anyone I'd ever met, I was coming to realize.

"Did I? You sure it wasn't the other way around?" He responded with a wicked grin.

I bit my lip and stood up with my books. My face was definitely pink now. I tried to use my hair as a curtain.

"Why? Do you want me to want you to run into me?"

"Was that even English?" Jughead asked with a puzzled look on his face.

I laughed despite myself. But the joy withered and died when I felt a hand lay across my shoulder.

"Foreskin Jones, look at you being friendly. I didn't know you had it in you." Archie sneered.

I looked at Jughead and I saw the light fade quickly from his lovely eyes as they focused on the hand on my shoulder. I shrugged his hand away and turned to Archie as Jughead spoke.

"Nice hair, Frenchie," he quipped. "It's a pretty shade on you. Makes your eyes really pop."

Archie's smile grew almost sinister. "How's Jellybean doing, Jug? Haven't seen her in awhile."

Jughead pressed his lips together, his eyes narrowing angrily. I saw his fist clench at his side. I knew that gesture well enough to know that whatever Archie had just implied was infuriating Jughead to his core.

Jughead looked at me and his eyes screamed a silent apology. Then, without a word, he turned and stalked away, his shoulders tense.

"Wait!" I called out but got no response from him. I looked at Archie and glared. "Seriously? What's the deal with you?"

Archie's brown eyes turned back to me, his smile dropped from his face as his eyes met mine. "If you only knew the whole story-"

"You know what? I don't care!" I snapped. "Just leave me the fuck alone."

I turned around and stormed off, brushing past people as I ran to the nearest bathroom. I dropped my bookbag and leaned over the sink. I tried to even out my breaths but my chest felt so tight.

First day of school and I was already stressed to the max. What hell had my Mom moved us into? Things were supposed to be different here. Easier. But I felt like I was right back at my old school.

I looked up at the girl staring back at me in the mirror. This girl looked completely different than the one back in Miami. She would of had her hair in a ponytail. She would have been wearing the same pink sweater her mother picked out this morning. She would have looked pristine. She would have been happy and cheerful that a boy like Archie Andrews spoke to her, much less walked her to class. But now?

I looked tired. I felt like I'd aged in a matter of months, and ponytails were a thing of the past. Instead of wanting people to see my face and notice me, I didn't give a damn anymore. I wanted to hide.

Except when it came to Jughead Jones.

It was so weird how he affected me with just a handful of moments together. He normally wouldn't have been the type of guy that I'd be interested in.

Normally, I was into guys like Archie Andrews. And guys like Reggie Mantle.

Reggie was the first guy I had ever really had a huge crush on, and he was the complete opposite from Jughead from what I could tell. He thrived from attention and came to life in a crowd. I could remember the first time I met him.

 _My parents were wanting me out of the house, so they forced me to attend a football game. Reggie was the on the field drinking a sports drink, and running his fingers through his sweaty black hair, making it stick in all kinds of directions. I was sitting in the front row with my best friend at the time, Josie, when he turned around to grab a towel off the bench and looked directly at me. His chocolate brown eyes staring right into me._

" _He's checking you out, girl!" Josie said, beaming as she nudged me slightly. I groaned. And rolled my eyes._

" _He is not," I said, picking a piece of lint off of my blue sweater._

 _I peeked up beneath my lashes to find Reggie still watching me. He smiled, winked once, and walked away. I felt my cheeks burn._

 _I'd had a crush on Reggie for months now, and for months he'd never once looked my way. And why would he?_

 _I was Betty Cooper. It was Polly who was the outgoing and pretty sister. Polly, who never did not have a date on the weekend. Polly, the captain of the cheerleading squad. Polly, who would look good wearing a paper bag. Polly, who my father would never stop comparing me to._

 _But Reggie hadn't smiled at Polly that night, hadn't winked at her._

 _He winked at me. He noticed me._

That alone should have sent warning bells off in my head. But at the time all I could think about was how damned happy I was that the most popular guy in school winked at me.

I would never be that naive again.

"You'd be good for him." I looked up in the mirror and saw that behind me stood a beautiful, petite girl. She had light brown skin and she had pink highlights in her wavy brown hair and wore ripped black jeans paired with a fitted dark tee shirt.

I turned around, very confused.

"Good for whom?"

"Jughead," she clarified. "He needs a friend like you. I saw what happened out in the hall while I was waiting for my girlfriend to come out of class."

"Whose your girlfriend?"

As if being called, Cheryl, the pale redheaded girl who sat by me in class and defended me against Archie, walked in. She gave me one glance and then back at the tiny girl. Cheryl gave her a smile and a peck on the lips. She then whipped her head and red hair around, and looked at me, grinning.

"I'm Cheryl."

"Betty." I said, picking up my books and bag off the floor. Cheryl reached for the tiny girl's hand and introduced us officially.

"This is Toni, my girlfriend. She lives next door to Jughead Jones. They kind of grew up around each other, more or less. Their dads work together.

I nodded, wondering what that had to do with me. I also wondered what she meant just moments ago when she said she thought I'd be good for Jughead. Was I thought obvious in my flirting? I really needed to chill out then. I barely new the guy. Didn't want what happened in Miami to happen in Riverdale.

"That's cool, I guess."

"Jughead smiled at you. I haven't seen him do that since...well, ever." Cheryl raised her eyebrows. "Plus, anyone who can blow off Archie is cool in our books."

I looked at Cheryl in surprise. "Aren't you guys like related or something?"

"Why, because we're both were blessed as earth's roses?" Cheryl said, running her fingers through her long curls.

I shrugged, clearly I was assuming wrong here. "Sorry, my mistake."

Cheryl waved a manicured hand. "We've been mistaken for relatives since kindergarten."

"You've all known each other that long?"

Toni chuckled. "This is Riverdale, Betty. _Everyone_ has known everyone going back generations.. I'm pretty sure mine and Cheryl's parents went to school with your mom."

"Mine did," Cheryl confirmed, reapplying a layer of red lipstick to her mouth. "Daddy says Alice Cooper is a spitfire."

I laughed. "Well, he's not wrong."

Toni's mouth curved into a small smile. "What about you, Betty? Are you a spitfire?"

I blinked, shrugging again. I definitely had a touch of that Cooper woman spirit, but I didn't consider myself a spitfire. "I'm just trying to survive my first day here."

"Well, I'll be honest, toots, giving Andrews the cold shoulder is not the smartest move if you want to survive socially but you've sure got this reject's approval." Toni said.

"And the notorious reject?" I dared ask, hating myself for asking it.

Toni's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Jughead? He certainly doesn't hate you."

I tried to ignore how pleased I was to hear it and instead said, "I don't get why everyone hates him."

Cheryl and Toni shared a glance that told me they knew the entire messy history but wouldn't tell me because it wasn't their story to tell. I respected that.

"Stick around long enough and I'm sure you'll get the gist of it," Toni said with a shrug, pulling a black notebook out of her backpack along with a pencil. She scribbled something onto it and ripped off a corner of the paper, extending her arm to hand it to me.

I took the piece of paper, confused, and looked down to see a phone number. "You're giving me your number?"

Toni shook her head. "Jughead's number," she said simply, zipping her backback up and swinging it over her shoulder.

I gawked at her, looking back down at the piece of paper. "Why?" I could only ask.

"Because I know it would take forever for him to do it himself," she said. "And because like I said before, he can use a friend like you."

"You don't even know me. I could be a terrible friend."

Cheryl laughed, a light melodious sound. "You can't be any worse than his old friends, believe me."

"Watch it, I'm one of his old friends." Toni nudged her in the side.

"But you aren't anymore?" I asked.

Toni shrugged. "It's not for lack of trying on my end. But things are complicated."

Clearly. They seemed mega complicated. Why was I involving myself in this mess?

I pictured Jughead's smile, heard the sound of his laugh in my head. The way he had made _me_ laugh. Damn it. That's why.

I had no idea why these girls cared so much and were seeming to put their blind faith in me, but I was grateful to find two other people here that seemed cool.

I slipped the piece of paper into the back pocket of my jeans. I had no idea what I was going to text him. But I'd obsess about that later in the privacy of my own bedroom.

"C'mon, we're late for class." Toni took Cheryl's hand in hers and the two of them began to make their way out of the bathroom.

"Thank you." I told them awkwardly.

Cheryl and Toni looked back to smile at me. Cheryl's was wicked bravado and Toni's was something softer, kinder, a flicker of understanding perhaps, what it was to be lonely and rejected.

"Catch ya later, new kid."

The rest of the day passed by pretty quickly. I didn't see Jughead again, but I did pass by Veronica Lodge again in the hall. She narrowed her dark eyes at me before turning away to say something to the person she was walking with. Yeah, I still wasn't sure what the hell her problem was.

When the final bell rang I was practically running outside and was relieved to see my mom waiting in our car in the parking lot.

"Thank god it's fixed," I said by way of greeting as I shuffled into the car, savoring the warmth.

"Well, maybe. I called the school today. You'll be taking the bus from now on, just in case the car decides to act up again."

I sighed. Bus it was.

"So?" She asked, pulling out into the street. "How was it?"

She glanced at me and the worry was etched into her eyes. It made me feel guilty.

This past year had been hell for her. Finding out about my dad's affair, the whole bullying thing.

And the Polly situation.

"Betty?"

I started. Mom placed her hand on mine.

"It was okay," I told her. "Interesting."

"Oh? Interesting how?"

I went on to fill her in on the bare essentials of the day, completely skimming over the naked guy tied to the flagpole and the guy with the pink hair who'd been responsible. I did tell her I met a couple of nice girls, though.

We were pulling into our driveway. Damn, the drive seemed a hell of a lot shorter than it had this morning.

I was getting out of the car when I heard Mom ask, "what's this?"

I turned in horror to realize she was picking up the piece of paper with Jughead's number written on it. It must have fallen out of my back pocket.

"Oh, just one of those girls' numbers," I lied swiftly.

She sniffed out the lie immediately like a bloodhound. "Why did you sound panicked when you just said that?"

"Because you're freaking me out and acting accousitory over a cell phone number," I snapped, snatching the piece of paper out of her hand.

Her eyes narrowed. "What's this girl's name?"

"Uh, Toni. I don't know her last name."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Antoinette Topaz?"

"God, everyone really does know everyone here. What, did you like, go to her Christioning years ago before you moved? How do you even know her full name? That's creepy."

She rolled her eyes. "I was friends with her parents, thank you very much. They sent me a picture when she was born and called her Toni, but by that point I'd already moved away from here."

Weird. "Well, it's her number. She seems cool. And her girlfriend, Cheryl."

Now her eyes narrowed. "Cheryl who?"

I threw my hands up in the air. " _Mom_!"

"Alright, alright," she held up her hands placatingly. "Just be careful."

I fought the urge to snap at her that maybe I was sick of walking on eggshells but forced myself to nod. "I'm gonna go change."

I trudged up the stairs to my bedroom, wincing when I realized I'd kind of slammed the door to my room shut and half expected to hear her shout up the stairs to lose the attitude. Mercifully, she did not.

After I changed into my pajamas I pulled out my phone and the slip of paper. With shaky breath, I typed in the number and blanked on what the hell to text.

 _ **Hey-**_

No.

 _ **Hi, this is Betty Cooper-**_

No, too formal.

 _ **This is Betty, you know, the girl who untied you from the pole this morning-**_

Seriously? Like he needs a reminder of that. I scowled at my phone and exited out of the message thread. If I can't stay anything cool and collected then I didn't need to be texting Jughead at all.

Besides how do I explain I got his number? Didn't that seem stalkerish?

Look back at my phone, my eyes snagged at Polly's name at the end of my text threads. I glared at the screen. Polly had been ignoring my every attempt I made to reach out to her. She wasn't even trying. And it made me so angry. Impulsively, stupidly, I tapped her name and was about to begin messaging when I heard a sharp knock at the door.

"Betty!" I jumped about a foot into the air, the phone temporarily flipping out of my hand. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Okay, thanks."

She left and I picked my phone back up, resuming my message.

 _ **Hey, thanks so much for all of your support. Today definitely wasn't difficult at my new school and not at all awkward. You know, maybe if you'd quit ignoring all of my messages (as if I were the only one who fucked up) I could tell you all about it - like the naked guy in the snow whose life I saved today. But ah well. Hope your baby daddy is doing swell and not being a total creep.**_

Blinking back angry tears I pressed send and tossed the phone away on the bed.

I hated that I missed her. Hated that I wished I could ask for her advice. I threw myself on my bed, and laid my arm over my face. What a hell of a first day. What would tomorrow bring, I wonder? More flagpole drama? Would Archie's hair be blue? I wouldn't be surprised. The school was on a hellmouth like Buffy or something. Evil lurked there. And I was just going to have to bring myself to attend everyday and deal with it.

"Betty, it's getting cold!" my mom yelled from down stairs. I groaned.

"Coming!"

Before I got up to walk down stairs, my phone chimed. I picked it up, wiping my face as I walked down the steps, I stopped before making it to the bottom. My eyes grew wide as I read the incoming messages.

 _ **I have so many questions.**_

 _ **First of all, how dare you?**_

 _ **My baby daddy deserves more respect.**_

 _ **Also please elaborate on the naked guy. I need deets.**_

I froze in absolute terror.

It wasn't Polly's number who'd replied.

But the number I'd copied down from the slip of paper.

Jughead's number. I just texted Jughead by mistake and not my sister.

"Oh god." I whispered.

 **Author's note: We hope you liked this chapter. Please leave us a review! They make us happy. :)**

 **xoxo Cee and Tiff**


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